Fan Photos

I can't wrap my head around this towel thing.... Why would we the loyal fans of the original Baltimore Colts and now the awesome Baltimore Ravens want to carry little cotton towels into our M&T Bank Stadium on the Sunday night game against our biggest rivals?

Someone please tell me it’s not true!!

Please explain to me why we would want to represent ourselves as mere copy cats of the bunch of yellow towel toting Pitt followers. This purple pride decision was surely made by some male genius in the Ravens’ marketing department. Do they not employ any women with common sense? No woman in her right mind and with any fashion sense would agree to copying another teams mascot, cheers, uniforms or fan props. Think of the towel as a "fashion" statement or rather, a fan statement.

Oh and by the way an ugly beer soaked yellow terrible towel is quite a fan statement. I especially love it when it's whipping by my head spewing smelly liquid and dirt all over me! Yeah I love to hate those towels and the fans that propel 'em.

Ask any woman about fashion and she would tell that there is little worse than wearing the same Ravens tee that another woman has on. Guys, Gals ... the towel is not Ravens fan attire!

We don't need these copy cat phony props this Sunday or any other game day.

So the Ravens want to “Purple Out” M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday Night. On the surface, not a bad idea but how is that any different than any other Sunday?

Did you watch the game against the Bucs? I’m sure you did. Wasn’t purple the overwhelmingly predominant color in the stands? Isn’t it always?

But the Ravens PR group wants to put a slight twist on this “Purple Out.” You see, they want to hand out purple towels in what I assume is an attempt to drown out the few thousand yellow towels that Pittsburgh fans will undoubtedly swirl in a manner reminiscent of the way the world famous fairy Tinkerbell waves her magic wand.

Screw that!

Just because Braves fans hum that nauseating tune accompanied by that ridiculous chop, do I want to do that at Orioles games? Just because the Detroit Red Wings’ fans throw octopuses on the ice, should Caps’ fans do the same?

No and no!

So why should I want to emulate the stupid tradition of our bitter rivals?

Hey in boxing when they throw in the towel, doesn’t that mean they quit?

What’s this attraction to towels? Do you think they do anything to distract the opponent? Last time I checked in order to clap or to cup your hands to help project your voice, you need two hands. If one of them is waving a towel…

Hello McFly?

How about we do this the old fashioned way and scream our lungs out and forget the damn towels. Why not have a “Towel Out.” If the Ravens want to drown out those eyesore yellow snot rags, then ban them! It’s our stadium.

Let’s have a Terrible Towel barbeque just outside the stadium.

Look I’ve seen those Myron Cope concoctions start fights after one Towel-a-Ban fan “accidentally” hits a Ravens fan in the head.

How about a sign like this at the stadium entrances:

NO TOWELS ALLOWED!

Maybe this idea is being driven by a deep-pocketed corporate sponsor of the Ravens looking to make their mark at the game and I’m cool with that – conceptually. But how about some rally sticks instead to help generate even more noise?

Come on Ravens – come to your senses.

Either ban towels all together or if you or a sponsor is feeling so philanthropic, issue the sticks.

Despite what this featured photo might suggest, those guys on the field wearing the stripes are really nice! This week Ravens Chix met with a few of the men who officiate for the NFL.

I never really gave much thought to neither these guys nor their jobs. I like any good fan would notice them only when they made a call that I didn’t like or that I loved! It was great to learn more officiating for the NFL.

I didn’t know that the officials were part time employees for the NFL. To be an NFL official they must have 10 years of experience and have been a referee at the collegiate level. They also have to be in good physical shape.

Now I’m not sure what the NFL’s criteria is for good physical shape, but some of the guys on the field look like they could work a little harder at this requirement.

They work in areas of the country and work as a crew. There are seven officials for a game and only one is called “referee”. The others work specific areas of the field and are called the line judge, side judge and so on. The NFL scores each referee on their field abilities and thus they are ranked throughout the year.

If they blow a call on Sunday they hear about it on Monday.

After having spent some time learning more about their positions, I have to give 'em props. It’s a tough job and there is not much glory in it. They get more harassment from the fans than any NFL team does. No matter what stadium they go to, one bad call and they are on every fans D list.

Both officials that Ravens Chix met live right here in Ravenstown!

When they are on the field they have to put their purple pride aside.

Right, sure.

It was great to meet the officials and it was nice that there were no flags, whistles or bad calls. Here's a link to an ABC 2 News feature on you Chix!

When you are Jerk you are a JERK! I couldn’t believe reports from Cleveland that a grown man tackled an 8 year fan of an opposing team!

SERIOUSLY?

Did he really jump on a little child!

I can only imagine how frightening that must have been for that little boy. If I were that child’s parent I wouldn’t have had any restraint in retaliating! I don’t care how big or tough that guy thought he was, my foot would have landed dead center below his belt! What in the world is happening? Or is just that it was in Cleveland? Ok right it was a Browns fan… no surprise there eh?

I don’t get men and their insanely outrageous displays of fan pride and passion! You can recognize the jerks the minute you see them. I’ve had to seat near these PITA guys at games. Add a few beers and the jerk of fan starts making smart ass comments to others seated near him, even to his own teams fans! Then he turns to the field and yells obscenities to the players, coaches and referees (like any of them can hear him).

A few more beers and the obnoxious, rude, and nasty fan starts sharing with all those around him his well thought out opinion of what’s wrong with the team and their game plan. Everyone has an opinion, I get it. In the heat of game some need to share their opinions loudly, I get that too. But these fans take their reactions to the limit and interfere with others ability to enjoy they game! And then to have guy turn to physical violence to show his team passion!

REALLY?

I hate it and I hate them.

Stadium security needs to act quickly and get these jerks out as soon as they start. I’m sure that the jerk in Cleveland was a jerk well before he tackled that innocent little kid. I hope that his smart ass was taken out of the stadium and is not ever invited back. And I hope that the justice system doesn’t give this one a break.

Jerks like that need to stay at home!

They can rant, shout and throw things at the TV and no one has to put up with them.

The last few weeks have put me in a spin. Two Sundays without a Ravens game, a Thursday night game, and now a time change for our upcoming home game! NFL your messing with our karma! It is driving me crazy!

I love football and I will go to a game morning, noon or night. I am a fan in the stands in the heat, cold, rain and snow. However, I’m old school and game time is Sunday afternoon and no one should mess with it!

I schedule my fall and winter around the Ravens game schedule. I organize my family dinners, my weekend chores, and even plan my work events around home or away games.

All these changes and additions to the Sunday afternoon games are great for the NFL and the team owners but seriously as a fan I don’t need it. I carve out my Sunday as my Purple Pride day. All week long I’m a fan who is reading, watching and listening to the sports commentary. I have a wonderfully full and happy life outside of football and I fill the other 6 days a week. I don’t need to have game time 24x7, nor can I handle it. Sunday game time is stressful enough!

Come on man…we have games on all day Sunday, two nights a week, and now the potential for a longer official season?

Where will it end?

Hey NFL get rid of Thursday night game and stop messin’ with my tailgate time!Players need their rest and fans need time for other obligations and the NFL is making plenty of cash.

Look up Cleveland in the dictionary and it is listed as a synonym for “hell” only there, hell does freeze over.

If given a choice between Cleveland and hell, relatively speaking hell is Club Med.

So why this random rant about the Mistake on the Lake?

Hold that thought!

Everybody knows about Cleveland, the city with a river so polluted it once caught on fire. Legend has it that some guy, probably a drunk, was walking along the shores of Lake Erie, flicked his cigarette into the water, and holy smokes the thing blew up like the Godfather!

Anyone remember the movie Major League based on an imaginary Cleveland Indians team that wanted to high tail it out of town? Not a lot of imagination there is it? Everyone wants to leave Cleveland.

Cleveland sucks so bad that they had to film Major League II in Baltimore and pretend it was Cleveland. I'm sure that’s how most Clevelanders cope – they pretend they are somewhere else.

Remember the last time the Cleveland Indians made it to the post season? I do. You know why? The players were swarmed under by a plethora of flying six-legged creatures. In Cleveland they call that home field advantage. Jacobs Field is the only stadium in the league where they hand out OFF after they take your ticket.

Remember a couple of years back the Browns locker room was a cesspool of staph infection?

Or what about the time the refs made a couple of bad calls and the pleasant Cleveland fans littered the field with beer bottles?

And they all bitch about Art Modell leaving that place? Maybe they are all just too pissed off that they haven’t left yet! Oh and while I’m no LeBron James fan who can fault him for getting out of Cleveland. Let’s see, South Beach…Cleveland…brain…brain on drugs.

You get the picture…

The media seems to enjoy chastising Philadelphia fans. How do these bozos in Cleveland get a hall pass? They are the worst and it’s not even close!

Just the other day I read a story about how a family of Jets fans went to Clevelandto watch their team take on the host Browns. After the Jets’ overtime win, the family made their way to the parking lot and along the walk they were verbally abused. You see the 8-year-old little boy in the family was sporting a Jets’ jersey.

And if that weren’t enough, some drunk a$$ Browns fan – an adult mind you, decides to tackle the little boy. He goes down, scrapes and bruises his ankle and the family, fearing the mob, gets in their car and drives away.

Props to the father of that family. I’m sure most men would retaliate and defend their son. But he was sensible. I mean if these clowns would tackle an 8-year-old, what might they do in numbers to the boy’s Mom and Dad.

This is the first season that I have a parking lot pass. I was so excited bout the chance to host a tailgate party on the stadium lots filled with purple pride. We had high aspirations of hosting awesome tailgates for our friends and planned on serving yummy homemade dishes, tasty drink concoctions and setting up an elaborate decorated spread. Our dreams were crushed the first game when the rain and wind dowsed our delicious menu, watered down our bloody Mary mix and blew our decoration down the lot.

The following two home games the weather was perfect. We set up our party early and enjoyed the lot festivities. Unfortunately we failed to take heed when the other tailgaters started breaking down their parties. We were the last to pack up on the lots and thus arrived late in the first quarter of the game.

Though we enjoyed hosting our little spread, we realized that tailgate parties are not easy events to pull off. Tailgating requires an intense amount of pre-planning and organizing. There maybe a little too much planning and organizing for us.

In order to host a party out of the back of your vehicle, you need to have your party compact, well thought out and easy to assemble and disassemble. For us the set up and break down for a 2-3 hour party is far too much work. It just takes away from time better spent enjoying the rest of lot festivities.

Then of course you must be able to adapt your tailgate party plans to deal with the elements. Rain, cold and wind are a huge issue but even the sun and heat can be a problem. Every week you have to take the weather into your pre-game day party plans.

This past week’s cooler weather sealed the deal on hosting tailgates for us. It’s not how we roll. Look, we love having our lot parking pass; we love the parties on the lots; and we really love meeting Ravens fans.

BUT…

We DON’T really like to prepare and set up the elaborate tailgate spread.

I now have much greater appreciation for those fans who host those all out full blown tailgate parties. It’s amazing to see fans that bring grills, tables, chairs, coolers, tents, TV’s, flag poles as well as tons of food and drink! You are my tailgate heroes!

From now on we are doing tailgating “chillin style”… a cooler of beers, flask of brandy (for the colder days) and couple of cold cut subs. I’ll spend my pre game planning time deciding on my game day fan attire. Once on the lots, we’ll spend our time visiting the tailgates of our Type A friends, who host those well organized and efficiently awesome Ravens Tailgates Extraordinaire Parties!

Some of us today have our heads hanging low while others are rejoicing as we wallow in the mire or bask in the glow of the Election Day results. The divisiveness of politics really sucks and I can’t help but think, “Can’t we all just get along?”

But this blog is supposed to be fun and/or about football related topics and I don’t want to bore you with my own political persuasions. There’s enough of that hot air going around.

But the divisiveness did remind me of something near and dear to our hearts – the NFL.

Recently I read Tony Lombardi’s interview with team owner Steve Bisciotti and I was happy to hear that the Ravens’ owner is 100% certain that there will be football in the 2011 season. There’s just too much to lose for all sides; the players and the owners but perhaps even more importantly – the fans.

However I am a bit dismayed by all this talk about an 18 game regular season. Why do they want to mess up a great thing? Each week I get my panties in a twist over the Ravens injury report.

Todd Heap is hurt again?

What do you mean Ray Rice has a sprained ankle?

Paul Kruger finally plays and he gets hurt?

I mean I sweat it out wondering if my favorite guys are going to hit the field healthy during a 16 game season. Ok well let’s add 2 more games and all this will get better right?

And you know what really ticks me off about this idea? Roger Goodell.

You see The Commish wants to sell the ignorant and uninformed fans on the concept of an 18 game season by telling us that he’s listened to our pleas and understands that we are upset about having to pay full tariff for those boring preseason games when the veterans for the most part simply punch the time clock.

Hooray for you Roger!

But you see the NFL doesn’t really want to let go of your money, they just want to add two games to the regular season. Then they can sell those extra games to the networks and fill their ample coffers even more. So in effect the NFL could be taking those garbage games in August and making them garbage games in January.

Why?

Well look at it this way. What if the Ravens have a 3 game lead after 16 games and they have no reason to play the veterans. Suddenly it looks like a preseason game in winter.

Do me a favor Goodell. Sell your BS somewhere else!

Here’s an idea for you suits in the NFL ivory tower…how about you just give us fans all a break for a year or two in this tough economic climate and charge us half price for your half ass games?

Ravens are giving us an exciting season! Though we hit some rough spots this past week, our team is coming together and what can we say about our Offense? How about “We have one”!! Let’s keep rooting and ranting our boys on to victory.

While at the game on Sunday I noticed that all of the excitement isn’t just on the playing field. On the sidelines the main attraction are the Baltimore Ravens Cheerleaders. Four squads of lovely ladies, shake, pump and dance around the sidelines building the crowds enthusiasm and energy.

Our Ravens cheerleaders are unique in the NFL because we have two coed cheerleading squads. Yes the renowned bad boy NFL team is the only team in the entire league to have boys cheering, jumping and pumping on the sidelines. This doesn’t sit well with most male fans. My guy friends all agree “Guys don’t belong on the cheerleading squads.”

I disagree, and not just because they look great in their black polyester cheerleading outfits.

The male team mates enhance the sideline entertainment and program possibilities. Having males on the squad allows for a greater range of dances and acrobatics. The males are the stable anchors for those little tiny Ravens “fly cheerleaders”. They toss, catch and hoist the girls one atop the other. They also shout cheers to the fans through large megaphones and run banners and flags up and down the field.

And yes the sex appeal factor is another reason to have the muscle beefed boys. They do attract attention from the female fans. In between plays and during halftime, a little more flexing isn’t a bad thing. You can never have too many “guns out” at a football game.

If someone had told you at the beginning of the season that the Ravens would have to play 3 of their first four games on the road and that 3 of their first four road games before the bye week would be against 2009 playoff participants and the fourth against the Steelers, wouldn’t you have been ecstatic that after all the Ravens would sport a 5-2 record? (Wow that was a mouthful.)

Of course you would!

It’s a pretty darn good record despite all the odds.

Yet here in Baltimore, all I hear is whining and griping about how the Ravens had to go to overtime to beat the winless Buffalo Bills.

For me there’s a danger in playing a team like the Bills who have nothing to lose. I mean c’mon, they can throw all their gadgets and trickery and reckless abandon at you without consequence.

I know it’s a bit cliché-ish but a win is a win and I’ll take it. Last year at the bye the Ravens were 3-3 and they still made it to the playoffs! Hello!

After the bye the Ravens should be healthier. They’ll get Donte Stallworth back. Ed Reed is already back and thankfully he was on the field against the Bills. Tom Zbikowski returns so that gives the team more healthy depth.

Speaking of returns, can the Ravens post a Help Wanted sign for a decent punt or kick returner?

Ok, enough of that. It’s all good. 5-2, 5-2, 5-2…

So enjoy your off week fans. I know my spleen will enjoy the week off since I’ve been torturing it over the past couple of weeks. Sheesh! No wonder my neighbors aren’t speaking to me after my potty mouth exhibitions.

This week, I’ll be cheering on the N’Awlins Saints.

That’s right!

Have you seen who they’re playing?

Oh and I’ll also be rooting for the Packers to beat the Jets and then give Rex Ryan a case of Twinkies as a consolation prize. Hey he might prefer that instead of a win.

The best part of Sunday’s game was the honoring of our 2001 Super Bowl Ravens. It was awesome to have so many players and coaches come out for the event. The pregame introduction with the line of Super Bowl winners cheering on our current team was such fun! The high point of the event came when they introduced OJ Brigance. The stadium gave him a wonderful welcome.

What an amazing man and a courageous warrior.

He is an inspiration to us all.

Do you remember where you were when the 2001 Baltimore Ravens won the Superbowl?I can clearly remember where I watched the game. That memory ranks right up there with remembering where I was when Kennedy was shot and later John Lennon; when the space shuttle exploded and when 911 occurred. I remembered those because they were horrible acts of destruction, but the Super Bowl was a memory of pure joy.

Like most good memories the very best part of our Super Bowl win was that I shared it with other fans, friends and family. Fans of Super Bowl teams have a deeper bond to the team and to each other.

The bonds and camaraderie that sports fans share is remarkable.

Just walk down the street in your football fan gear and people start to nod or shout a cheer. You are instantly a friend of the guy in line for a lotto ticket, or the cashier at the grocery store. Fans unite under an umbrella, sharing a link as if they themselves are players in the game.

If you are a Baltimore football fan, you belong to a family that spans generations. There is no better fan base anywhere. Families who were once Baltimore Colt fans are now die-hard Ravens fans.

Purple pride runs deep in Bawlmer!

I celebrated that Super Sunday in 2001 with my friends and family. At the time, some of them were not really football fans, but rather came just for the party.

The energy that was shared that night was so exhilarating that by half time everyone was a true fan! Even the least interested guest was ranting and cheering for the team! Everyone becomes a football fans after watching your hometown team win a Super Bowl!

That’s why I love football! The games bring together teams of professional athletes and 70,000+ fans in an arena of blissful kinfolk, friendly competition and exciting entertainment.

I logged on to AOL today and couldn’t help but notice this new book that Shanae Hall is promoting entitled, Why Do I Have to Think Like a Man?

In the book Hall touches down upon this sense of entitlement that she believes professional athletes harbor (like yeah, hello) and then tells women that they can accept the behavior or do something about it. Hall is an ex-NFL wife of the Falcon’s Corey Hall.

Naturally during her book campaign tour the topic of Brett Favre surfaced. Hall weighs in…

“If he had been single, no one would have cared. But he's a married grandfather. He had a whole ‘wrangler, good boy’ image and it's gone now. That voice mail message he left her, the one they released, he sounded so at ease, so comfortable.

“If he sounded that comfortable doing something that sneaky, it wasn't the first time he'd left a message like that. Of all the NFL players I know, and I know a lot, the one thing they have in common is that there are no consequences for their behavior. They can do whatever they want and people just bend over backwards to let them.”

They’ll tolerate many things for a “W” in the NFL.

This reminded me of that player from the Kansas City Chiefs – Dwayne Bowe (I Googled it). Anyway, Bowe broke man code by telling the world what that many of his teammates line up booty calls when they are out of town. I’m sure Bowe is a popular guy every time the Chiefs hit the road, right?

All of this just really makes me appreciate a player who Plays Like a Raven yet never forgets that his top priority is his family. Those guys (and their women according to Hall) know who they are.

But one player I can’t appreciate is Favre. If MTV wants a real reality show, just follow this drama queen’s career. I’ll try to chronicle that drama here from memory without exact dates which aren’t all that important.

* Boozehound while a member of the Falcons and traded after his rookie season to Green Bay* Hooked on Vicodin, press conference to announce it with corrective measures* Cameo in Something About Mary (pretty cool really) as Brett Favre-rah* Wants out of Green Bay after retiring, un-retiring, retiring, not sure about un-retiring again* Lands in New York for a season and pines for Jenn Sterger (see video below)* Helps Jets to a fast start in 2008 but fades, later blames Eric Mangini for playing him with a sore arm* Retires again* Makes another comeback* Changes his mind* Makes another comeback after being traded to the Vikings* Has a career season in 2009* Retires again* Is the NFL’s first active player to become a grandpa* Un-retires* Changes his mind* Un-retires again* Recordings of his advances towards Sterger surface (along with alleged pics of his junk)* Wrangler dumps him as a spokesperson…maybe they weren’t comfortable enough for his junk after all* Now a suspension looms

Think he’ll ditch his teammates and retire mid-season?

What a douche bag Favre is.

Sorry Shanae-nay, with all due respect, if this is thinking like a man, I’ll pass!

So last week the sport talking heads madethe Ravens their “sweetheart team”. They favored us to win against the Patriots and Vegas betting picked us 7-1 as 2011 Super bowl champs. Theidea of us becoming a team that the media would actual take notice of made most of Baltimore fans uncomfortable.

No one has ever given the Ravens the props that they are due. Even 10 years ago, after winning the Super Bowl, the media didn’t acknowledge the Ravens as a team whose efforts deserved the title.

Baltimore has always been the underdogs and the team’s tenacity, strength and determination have gone unrecognized by the sports media. While they barely notice our players good deeds on the field, they have always acknowledged the off the field antics. Though fans are not proud of our players away from the game activities, we have fed off the lack of positive comments and the continual disrespect that our boys in purple have gotten. It fuels our resolve to have to come out swinging every Sunday.

This past week was a real mind bender for Baltimore fans. We didn’t know what to do with all the positive attention. We are used to defending our team, even amongst each other, that we had no response to the optimistic pregame claims.

So what did we do with all this confident hype?

We got our hopes up, started pumping our chests, and started believing that our Ravens were invincible. So look what happened. The Ravens played like Ravens.

Normally I’m not a superstitious person, but I hope that this week the heads find another team to give their props to. Let’s leave well enough alone. The media should go back to looking at The Ravens as the disorganized bad boy team of the NFL that doesn’t deserve the media’s time or attention!

The way we play, Ravens fan have a hard enough time watching our boys every Sunday. We don’t need over groomed retired football players in shiny suits feeding fuel to our fire! Let the heads stick to sucking up to Baby Brady, Pretty Peyton and Ruthless Roethlisberger!

Chicas Save the Date!

Hope to see all the Chix at our first Ravens Chix Flocking Wednesday October 27, 7 pm Liberatore’s in Perry Hall.

While driving around yesterday picking up a few things for a little family Ravens’ game gathering, I was listening to 105.7 the Fan. Yes, believe it or not I do that even when I’m not riding shotgun with my husband.

So, I’m listening to their pregame show and dominating the conversation is this girl named Jenn Royal (not sure of the spelling here). This girl obviously has compromising pictures of her boss because she brings nothing to the show. I was never an Anita Marks fan but this chick makes Marks seem like Bill Belichick.

Did anyone see the temper tantrum thrown by Tom Brady in the fourth quarter yesterday? What a friggin’ baby. He reminded me of my 3 year old nephew after his Mom told him he couldn’t have a lollipop until he finished his dinner. It’s football pretty boy. Get over yourself.

One pretty boy who is tough is Todd Heap. I’ve heard guys get on Heap for being soft but after that cheap shot from that cheap shot artist Brandon Meriweather, I thought for sure we had seen the last of Heap for the day. But he shook off that vicious head shot and re-entered the game. After the game, Heap withheld judgment on Meriweather until he had a chance to review the game film.

Contrast his toughness and his level-headedness with that of the Patriots’ golden boy.

So what’s up with this eye black stuff? You see these players wear it all the time but what purpose does it really serve?

Nobody asked me but I think it’s a fashion statement more than anything else. I mean, truth be told the lady players in the Lingerie Football League (coming to a Ravens Chix Flocking on Oct. 27) wear it for fashion. The NFL players would never admit it but you can’t tell me that stuff actually cuts down on the sun’s glare. Why don’t you see lifeguards wearing that stuff if this were really true?

Look they wear that stuff when it’s cloudy and they wear it indoors too! Maybe someone could sell me that the sun is in fact more attracted to the eye black than say one’s skin. But what about those bzillion light bulbs at night in a stadium or in the domes? Are they attracted to the eye black?

Sorry, not buying!

Maybe the players just want to look more menacing and they put it on. You hear players refer to each other as warriors and they say silly things like, “It’s time to go to war.” So maybe that black gunk is their war paint. You have to admit it makes some of those dudes look pretty bad ass, you know?

If I was a quarterback and I saw Ray Lewis staring at me from the other side of the line, I’d be a little worried. No. 52 is a pretty intense guy and I could see where that stuff might work to his advantage.

But how do you explain Tom Brady wearing the eye black? On him it’s about as intimidating as a bad eyeliner job on Mrs. Brady. I don’t see Joe Flacco wearing it. Peyton Manning? Nope.

She’s been a Miami Dolphins fan (despite the annoying team fight song) since she was a little girl. She later became a Dolphins cheerleader and now she’s the poster child for Victoria Secret’s new line of NFL women’s gear.

TSJ: Issues aside, are you glad that there are finally proper fashions for the female football fan?

Jaime: I’m loving this trend for the ladies. Just because we have vaginas doesn’t mean we can’t be into sports. And just because we’re into sports doesn’t mean we don’t like to look cute. Sexy team apparel like this covers all the bases.

TSJ: Actually, it appears to cover very little. This sure beats seeing you in some ill-fitting jersey designed for a dude.

Jaime: A girl can still look hot in one of those, and there’s a time and place for everything. Like at home after the game with nothing on underneath.﻿

Last year we created Ravens Chix because “Girls just wanna have fun!” And that is what Ravens24x7.com has always been about anyway.

This “flavor” of 24x7 extends the fun with a different twist geared towards the ladies. Look we’re Ravenmaniacs too and if you are like me and my girl friends, you “Bleed Purple”, you are passionate about being female, you cherish family & friends, and you have a desire to live life to the fullest.

Sound familiar?

Then Ravens Chix is for you!

But now we plan to be more than just a blog and we are extending the concept. Our Ravens Facebook Group now has over 1,500 members and our newly created profile (Ravens Chix) is nearly 600 friends strong. AND on October 27, 2010 at Liberatore’s in Perry Hall we will kick off our inaugural monthly Ravens Chix Flocking.

What is the “Flocking”?

Well first and foremost it’s about fun. You won’t hear us pounding our Ta-Ta’s and brand ourselves as some champion of the economy and how we can stimulate local businesses through advocacy and professional collaborations and other politically correct rhetoric and mumbo jumbo. Don’t we hear enough of that BS with all of the political ads they beat us over the head with all day and night on TV?

The last thing we want is to build some bureaucracy or professional networking club that seems about as real as Pamela Anderson. Look, rules and regs, and codes and bylaws and economic stimuli all have their respective purposes but when I leave the office, I LEAVE THE OFFICE – AND I leave those humdrum things behind.

Now there’s nothing wrong with networking.

There’s nothing wrong with promoting business.

And by all means there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with supporting a worthwhile charity.

I love being a Ravens' fan; the purple color, the statistics, the anticipation of getting to the stadium and TiVo. I like spouting out a few stats here and there~ not to look like a know it all, but some of those football facts are really interesting. There is still a ton about football I do not know, and I cannot hold a conversation and watch the game. I'm too busy concentrating on the various calls and conversions and such. TiVo has always been my safety net because I can go home and watch the game and hear what the analysts have to say. I am a gloriously optimistic fan who can find the good in any play.

To that end, I may be naive in my comments; "Oh great job Landry! You stopped the opponent before he made a touch down." So he should have been there sooner to keep the ball out of the red zone, but, I'm going to guess here that my guy # 26 knows what his job is and doesn't need me telling him. I love being a Ravens' fan. There are mistakes that are made and risks that are not tried (or they are and it's a FAIL), but these guys are human.

While I am not saying people should mimic my Suzy Sunshine attitude that things could always be worse, I am going to put it out there that some of the fans that come to M&T Stadium need a refresher course in common courtesy.

ETIQUETTE FOR RAVENS' FANS:

1) BE ENGAGING:

Ravens games are a common bond for us. Say hello to your neighbors around you. You will be sharing 3 hours of emotion with them. These are the people you will be turning around and high-fiving or making conspiratorial head shakes to when a play is blown or a ref goes blind. Also, while you are saying your hellos, look at where the kids are. My kids love going to Ravens' games with my husband. They understand every little nuance of the game and will say things like "why are they going for the blitz? The other team is predicting it?" In no way will that question ever come out as an insult to the players. I don't want my kids hearing that a player 'is an overpaid, F-ing piece of sh!t' because he missed catching the ball or missed catching the opposing player. It's not so much the bad language as much as it is the carry over. My kids have heard that guy say stuff like that to the refs on their own sports teams. Bringing your road rage self to the game is not engaging. If you are not going to be civil in your opinions, go home and scream at the TV.

2) ONLY BOO THE OTHER TEAM:

Really? Do I really have to state this as etiquette? Apparently so, because there are Ravens' fans who boo THE RAVENS! Are you kidding me? Grow up. Really! Take your immature, middle school self out of the stadium and go home. We all stared at the TV in horror and dismay when the Mayflower moving van drove out of the Colts' training facility on the middle of that snowy night in March of 1984. We heard Irsay say he would not take the Colts out of Baltimore. He lied. He stole our team. We booed Robert Irsay, and that, my fair weather, clinging to the band wagon, pompous windbag of a seat neighbor, is the only time it will ever be okay to boo our own.

3) DO NOT BE A BAD HOST:

There are a fair amount of fans from the opposing team that come to M&T Bank Stadium. I actually think that was part of the point of making the stadium in such close proximity to I-95. My optimistic view saw the stadium location as a great big welcome sign. The Ravens play some incredibly good teams. We may not like those teams; we may feel certain players get special treatment that is in no NFL playbook I've ever heard of. The point is, those good teams make for some great football. If you look at these football games objectively, there is awesome playing on both sides. I went into the game against the Browns this weekend knowing it wasn't going to be a shut out, but I honestly did not expect to see the Browns' offense be as strong as it was. When Peyton Hillis was not even slowed down by Landry as Landry held on to him and did not let go, that was amazing. Really. Hillis was a steam roller. That comment is spoken out of respect for the game. That is actually a great time to turn to your Brown loving section mate and say, "wow, he's a force to be reckoned with." No one will think you've defected; you are being gracious.

4) FORGIVE AND FORGET:

Everyone has a bad day. You've had plenty, and so have I. Bad days are an equal opportunity mood squasher. It doesn't matter what your profession or your income level is. Some days life just gets in the way. You may have heard by now that the game the Ravens played against the Bengals was not Flacco's best day ever. He had a bad day. It happens. When Flacco came out onto the field on Sunday, some people actually yelled out for Flacco to go back to the side line and watch Bulger show him what a real QB does. Are you kidding me? Really? Weren't you the one that blew that deal that would have earned the company millions? You felt a little shaky after that didn't you? You knew that if you had the opportunity to show the people what you were really made of, you'd do it differently the next time. Or did you forget? Football players aren't allowed to make mistakes? Seven and eight or more figure incomes makes them goof proof? Grow up.

5) GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP IS IN THE SEATS:

The Ravens must "play like a Raven." I was cringing in my seat when Ellerbe acted like a bad sport with his touchdown delivery. I put my head in my hands when Mason missed the ball and then threw it in the air causing a delay of game for his temper tantrum. I even yelled out "be a professional." The fans, the so called 12th man (which I love, by the way) are told to "don't be a jerk!" It's accountability for yourself and how your actions carry over to the people around you. We must "cheer like a Raven." You do not have the right to bring your hateful self into the stadium with a huge chip on your shoulder because you have paid a fortune and want to see your money's worth. Guess what? You do get your money's worth. You see, we have a team in Baltimore. We have a whole community that benefits from the Ravens being Baltimore's football team. There is a ton of good that comes from having a National Football League Franchise in Baltimore again. You've been getting your money's worth for years.

Going to someone else's stadium to watch your team is a daunting task. Are the home team fans going to be nice to you? Are they understanding of the fact that you as a person are not bad, you just have questionable taste in teams and so the insults they hurl should not be to you directly?

I have read in the Baltimore Sun's editorial section, letters from fans of other teams who are appalled at the awful treatment and threats they feel they receive from Ravens' fans. They say they will never come back to Baltimore again because they do not feel safe.

Let’s face it…there are idiot Ravens fans. Maybe they have come across as threatening. But as a guest, you are entitled to the same 12th man rule which is to tell the Purple Shirt Guy if you are being harassed. Truly. If you are so fearful being at the Ravens stadium that you have to write a letter to the local paper and say that you are never, ever coming back, telling the Purple Shirt Guy is not being a tattle tale. But let's approach this honestly. Are you being a good guest?

ETIQUETTE FOR RAVENS GUESTS:

1) SHOW YOUR SPIRIT WHILE REMEMBERING WHERE YOU ARE:

The city where the stadium is located is your host. You are its guest. Keep that in perspective. Please dress like the fan you are! I have "Bead Guy" in my section. Ravens fans know exactly who I mean. He is the really nice guy who wears, what must be 15 lbs of beads around his neck. He also wears a camo fishing hat with tons of buttons pinned on it. He's always on TV, and you know why? He's a super nice guy. Bead Guy met his female match in "Orange Mohawk Lady" for the Browns. She looked awesome! She had on Brown's leggings and other real unusual fan gear that begged for people to look at her. We did. Bead Guy and Orange Mohawk Lady saw each other and shook hands. They had each met their opposite, and they worked it. They didn't interact during the game; the game was truly a nail biter and no one wanted to look away. They spoke as they were leaving, though. I don't know what they said, but I did hear them laugh.

2) DON'T LOOK FOR TROUBLE:

Two rows down and to the diagonal from me was a Browns fan who was dressed very similarly to how I would have dressed if at an away game. She wore a brown athletic skort and a brown top with a Browns orange and brown chunky bracelet with matching dangle earrings. She looked adorable. She knew what she was up against, and she was very engaging with the Ravens fans around her and the Browns fans in our section. She smiled and laughed and admitted that she was probably going home a loser and for the people within earshot to go easy on her. It would have been adorable if she had left it at that. The Browns led in the first quarter with a field goal. It was a bit of a shocker, I'll admit, but when the visiting team scores before the Ravens, I like to call it "being a gracious host by letting the visiting team get some numbers on the board."

So adorable girl stands up and turns around and mentions to the Browns fans a few rows behind her that those 3 points might be the only scoring they did. Then adorable girl starts taunting the Ravens around her and is suddenly no longer very adorable. She turns around with her back to the field and starts laying into the Ravens. Predictably, a Ravens fan tells her to sit down and watch the game or go home. She sits in her seat. The Browns get the ball. She lifts up her arm with the Browns chunky bracelet. I actually thought that was cute. What she did next leads me to etiquette point number 3.

3) KEEP YOUR FINGERS TO YOURSELF:

As a guest, you have no right to flip off your hosts. Unprovoked. You instantly go from being "adorable fan" to "embarrassment to Browns fans and women fans in general nightmare." I'll admit, it does not roll off the tongue, but it is what it is. Why this woman felt the need to turn around with her back to the field again and flip the section off with both hands is unknown. The Browns fans that were sitting behind her told her to "sit down and quit acting like a f-ing moron."

Thank you. On behalf of all the Ravens and Browns fan, man or woman, thank you for telling her that.

4) KEEP YOUR OPINIONS TO YOURSELF:

Ray Lewis is a murderer? Terrell Suggs is a thug? All Ravens are thugs? Really? Is that all you have? Keep it to yourself. If you are going to bring up the past, be careful because you are guaranteed to look like an idiot. You can have opinions on real situations; that bantering can be a little fun. I'll bet Bead Guy and Orange Mohawk Lady could have done that. I'll bet they could have talked injury reports and why the secondaries are so good and things like that.

If you are a good guest and are being treated maliciously or in a threatening way, by all means do something about it. Talk to Purple Shirt Guy. Write a letter to the editor of the Sun. But think back carefully before you jump into "anyone associated with the Ravens is a thug" rant. Come to Baltimore because you are the best fan ever for your team; do not come to start trouble. Your team wants you and needs you to root for them; you give them the energy they need.

Ariana is a YouTube video maker, better known as THEaTEAM52, whose videos are largely dedicated to the Baltimore Ravens. She has been a fan of the Ravens for nearly six years now and her passion for the team started after seeing post-game highlights of Ray Lewis.

Ariana is an out-of-state fan, living in Georgia, who enjoys connecting worldwide with Ravens fans through her YouTube channel. She will be providing her video blogs here on RCC and she will soon be chipping in with her literary flair as well.

It’s been a long two weeks of football! This week’s post game ranting on Joe and the O line has been the worst! With all of the pre-season hype and opening day excitement it is so disheartening to have the fans rumble with disappointment after just two games. But the home opener at M&T Stadium is finally here! After last week’s field performance we really need the game to go our way.

Thank goodness we open against da Browns!

I am wondering what the pre-game mood will be on the tailgate lots? Will there be a continuation of dogging on Joe, complaining about the O line’s porous protection and more crying foul about the lousy officiating?

I hope not.

That noise should have stopped at the water coolers during the usual Monday morning quarterback sessions. Let those fans who like to hang on to bad karma sit at home, where they can keep their whining and negativity to themselves.

Instead I expect Ravens fans to come out in full support of our Mighty Men.

Baltimore will give them the fan support that they deserve. Sunday is predicted to be a beautiful fall day and the tailgate lots will be a spectacular shade of Purple and Black. So to all of the fans going to the game, bring your pride and your positive energy to Russell Street!

Let’s send da Browns dawging it back to Cleveland and send our Ravens the fan momentum that they need to have a winning season!

Okay so yesterday’s game didn’t go the way we expected. It’s only the beginning of the season! We haven’t even had our first home game! There is lots of speculation on the future. Will this season be more of the same old same old? Will Joe pull it together and playing strong next Sunday? Is it time to put in our back up QB? Are the fans ready to throw in the towel on the team? Can we ever play game where the referees don’t blow a call?

It looks like this season will be much like the past seasons. Our boys will “Play like Ravens” and give us the nail biting heart wrenching game day that we love to hate!

If you are ready to shake this week’s Purple Sunday blues join me and the Ravens Chix at Liberatore’s Lounge in Bel Air on Tuesday, September21 at 7pm for The Housewives of Bel Air’s Ladies Night Out. The Housewives of Bel Air bring professional women and men together at local venues for business and social networking!

From the look of the opening week’s games, this is going to be a great football season! Our Mighty Men gave us yet another nail biting win! Even though there is much to talk about on the field the media has already turned its attention from the frenzy of the start of the season to off the field antics. The latest antics include accusations of sexual harassment towards a female reporter and the alleged perpetrators are several New York Jets and knee jerk reactions from the Redskins Clinton Portis.

Now the entire league is in hot water.

Much of the media hype surrounding the incident is targeted towards the attractive young reporter, Ines Sainz, and her judgment in her work attire. The media seems to support the phrase “boys will be boys” when perhaps they should be rallying around “two wrongs don’t make a right.”

While I agree that she could have chosen a more professional appearance, it does not give the players the right to act unprofessionally. Obviously, her employer felt her attire was within dress code, thus she has the right to wear what she wants. In addition, with her beautiful looks, the former Miss Universe could wear a burlap bag and heads would turn! (Video of her explanation of the incident)

NFL players are expected to act in a professional manner and sexual harassment is not acceptable. Having said that, cat-calling is as unprofessional as: carrying handguns in your pants; dog fighting; drunk driving; or sexual assaults.

Come on NFL let’s keep your heads, thoughts and comments in check and stick to what you do best; Play Football!

After years and years of patiently waiting, I was offered the opportunity to buy 2 season tickets to the Ravens games this year. I am a seat snob. After sliding down the muddy hill of the lawn at Merriweather Post Pavilion during many rainy concerts during my high school and impoverished college years, I wait it out. I do not compromise my desire to have a wonderful seat for anything.

This year my patience paid off in spades, and I can practically whisper in Ray Lewis’ ear. My seats are on the aisle and one to the right.

The aisle is extremely important for 2 reasons; number 1) I like to make a sign out of poster board and then go to the Ravens’ exit gate after the game to get signatures. My sign has to be pretty noticeable or else the players will pass me by so it is good to have the aisle for standing and showing off your artwork.

The number 2) reason is even more important, having the aisle guarantees that my view will not be obstructed by the fan who will wear anything to get on TV. I, like many others, have paid above face value for my seats, and the seats were not cheap to begin with. So if someone were to sit in front of me with a full sized Poe costume on, I would be seriously pissed.

This brings me to my point.

What do you wear to a Ravens game?

The guys seem to have it figured out by wearing camo and face paint. They add a few strands of beads, and they are good to go. There are very few women who can get away with camo pants. It seems that the biggest splotches of purple are on the hienie and hips.

Is that just a really sick joke on the designers’ part?

I saw one woman totally rock the camo with her cute little figure and long blonde hair and black midriff baring shirt showing a beautifully sculpted 6 pack… Sorry…girl crush moment. So really, except for that one woman who would look like a million bucks in a Hefty bag, what do the rest of us wear?

I have amassed quite a collection of purple clothing over the years as I waited for my perfect seats. Some of it is Ravens gear, and some of it is just fabulous for any occasion. So here are my ideas for being fashionable, comfortable, and awe inspiring to those in the seats around you during the 2010-2011 Ravens football season:

1:00 GAMES IN THE WARM DAYS OF FALL

The best thing to wear is moisture wicking fabric. It doesn’t have to be Under Armour, and it doesn’t have to be official NFL licensed merchandise either. I put together a little purple tennis skirt and black v neck tee shirt from the work out section of Target. That is the perfect canvas for accessorizing. Add a purple boa (which will be stiflingly hot, but this is in the name of fashion), some big, chunky beads from the street vendors, a light up Ravens pin, and you are set. No fuss and no big budget bite.

If there is a chance of rain, bring a clear poncho. You look adorable, right? Don’t let the rain make you cover up and become unnoticed.

Hand bags are a hassle. You don’t want to keep your bag on your shoulder while you are jumping up and down screaming your lungs out. It’s uncomfortable, and, to be real, you’ll look like an amateur. Do not put your bag on the ground under your seat or it will be caked with nacho cheese, beer, pop corn and only God knows what else. Wear a Ravens back sack. They are small and light and hold all you need which is really a Sharpie or 2 for autographs, your cell phone, ID, ATM card, keys, and lip gloss. This last item is crucial because if you are on the visitors’ side, the sun will chap your unprotected lips, and, it’s a good idea to be always ready for your close up.

The game is aired in HD, after all.

1:00 GAMES IN COOLER/COLD WEATHER

The cooler weather is the time to bring out your black jeans or leggings (but, please, unless you are 12, no “jeggings”). On the top, you can give your beads a rest and let your new Boldin jersey take center stage. A black turtleneck is very cute and practical to wear under the jersey on those nippy, windy days. Here’s a tip: NFL licensed jerseys are expensive. Men’s and women’s sizes are about $85.00. That is a huge chunk of change. So, do what I do and buy the youth XL or XXL (yep, that is the only good part about being a nation of obesity that seems to pop out alarmingly large kids.)

These jerseys are the real deal and can cost as much as $40 less than the adult size. The only real difference I have found is the length, so watch your panty line if you wear leggings under it. You can accessorize your look with a Ravens’ baseball cap, headband that covers the ears, scarf, etc. The knit hats are a steal in the kids’ department, too.

They stretch out to accommodate your brilliantly huge mind.

4:00 GAMES

By the time 4:00 PM comes around, it is chilly on the home side and going to be chilly within the first hour on the visitors’ side. Wear the cute things listed above, but don’t forget gloves and toe warmers. It’s time for your boots in any style or height. How adorable are you with your team jersey, black leggings (tights underneath is not a bad idea, but make sure you don’t wait until the last second to go to the bathroom or your teeth will be floating) and cowboy boots?

The people around you will be more drunk than they are at the 1:00 game, so wearing gloves guarantees enough feeling in your fingers to 1) drink your beverage like a lady and 2) text security when the drunk guy behind you won’t stop putting his tray of nachos on the top of your head.

8:00 GAMES

These games are a whole different beast altogether. They attract a HUGE television audience. You will be on TV, no matter what because of the scans they take to show the sellout crowd. You may not see you when you watch the Tivo’d game the next day, but trust me on this, you will be on TV. It is time to work it.

This involves all of the looks listed above worn together and a winter coat with a hood. While I would never tell you to buy an official Ravens winter coat for hundreds of dollars out of the NFL catalog (but if you do, can I borrow it?) a purple one is definitely attention getting.

Depending on the look, a Ravens’ girlfriend or wife may seek you out at the autograph gate and bring her little game playing bundle of testosterone to show it to him. Ladies, keep it real here, do not give them your coat. Trust me, they don’t want it, and if they do want it, they’ll buy themselves 1 or 50. Just be gracious, polite, and coy, and thank the wife/GF for noticing and compliment the player on a job well done. If the player actually plays an awful game, just tell him you’ll see him next week.

There are a lot of Purple Fridays coming up now, so you’ll have plenty of time to work your game day look.

One, of course, is a world-class athlete who took to the television waves last week to play a “will he or won’t he” game with anyone who fell prey to the hysteria of wondering where he will play next year. The other is an actor from Hollywood who had a questionable period in his life as the proverbial “bad boy.”

Granted, back in the 80’s, the definition of a “bad boy” would seem like a joke to kids of today…but I digress!

Anyway, Lowe put out on his Twitter recently a note that said, “Please don't watch the LeBron thing. Let's not teach athletes that this behavior is acceptable. As a life long NBA fan and friend of Magic MJ Kobe Shaq and others with rings, I cannot IMAGINE this kind of hubris from someone without one.”

Sure, he has a point.

It’s amazingly cocky of LeBron to take over the airwaves, jack up commercial prices, and basically take an hour to say a four word sentence (makes me think of that scene in Lord of the Rings when Treebeard says, “You must understand, young Hobbit, it takes a long time to say anything in Old English. And we never say anything unless it is worth taking a long time to say.”)

But, it’s funny to me that Lowe wants to correct someone else’s behavior, or “teach” someone a lesson. Who had a sex tape released? Who was involved in Nanny-Gate? Who has consistently proven that people don’t want to watch his television shows?

I’m sure that many people watched the LeBron spectacle (I Googled to try to find an estimated audience number) but I didn’t. Not because I was trying to make a statement (is ONE more television really that noticeable?) but because I was at a benefit for Living Classrooms, listening to a young man who has gone through their program recount the successes in his life that he directly attributes to the opportunities he has received. Even at that event, a celebration of community service, education, philanthropy, and music, the LeBron show was referenced in a joking manner more than once.

More power to LeBron for surviving so many years in a game whose season seems to be unending. Now that he’s done talking (remember, one hour to say four words), let’s move onto the sports that matter.

I’d like to share my son Jake’s story and help spread the word about Juvenile Diabetes.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and visit the JDRF site.

Jake was 15 when he was diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes. It came as a complete shock to all of us. Since then Jake has had to learn how to monitor his diet, take his blood sugar levels and give himself injections several times a day.

True to Jake's nature, he hasn't let this devastating and incurable illness stop him from being himself and refuses to be denied a successful academic, athletic, and social life.

Jake is an honor roll student; defensive captain for the 2009 Regional Champions Hereford Bulls Varsity Football team; named 2009 All Division First Team Linebacker; plays defensive Middie for the 2010 Hereford Bulls Varsity Lacrosse team; works part time at Red Zone Adventures and like most high school seniors, has an incredibly busy social life.

Jake understands the potential health risks and limitations that his diabetes has and can have on his health. He takes his illness in stride and never focuses on the negatives. Most days we barely notice that he has diabetes.

Jake has accepted his illness and he has learned that if you stay focused and determined there is no obstacle too difficult to overcome.

Diabetes by nature demands a strict daily routine and while some might scoff at such redundancy Jake has embraced it as a lesson in discipline. That knack for seeking the silver lining when facing adversity has manifested itself on the field of play where Jake willingly accepts a leadership role. His peers have taken note.

This year Jake will graduate from high school and looks ahead eagerly towards college and the pursuit of a career in physical fitness, learning to play Rugby and working with others diagnosed with Juvenile Diabetes.

Every day I watch Jake test his blood and give himself injections and I’ve yet to see him flinch, whine or grimace.

I have finally come out of hiding! Winter is finally over and summer is right around the corner. A consistent part of spring in B’more is the ton of worthy fundraising events that area nonprofits host. These events come in all sizes and forms including 5k runs , bowling parties, golf outings, bull roasts and chocolate galas.

Since I know a wee bit about non profits, fundraising, and event planning, my heart goes out to those who are responsible for the planning and making their bottom line goal! I feel your pain! These are tough times for nonprofits, we need to stick together.

In an effort to give props to all of the local charities and workers, I would like to offer this blog to promote those charity events that Ravens Chix are supporting. If you are planning an event or are attending one please send me your info.

For those Chix who are not involved in a charity, I hope you take a peek at what’s happening around town and join in. Participating in an event is not only personally gratifying, but it can be tons of fun.

Baltimore and Ravens fans are generous and kind.

Let’s join together to make a difference!

So get clicking and send me the details of your cause. The best of luck to you and your organization!

Before Boldin, the biggest news of the off-season had been the Ravens' signing of WR Donte Stallworth. I thought this was a very good value signing, and still do after the other moves made at the position. However, it's worth being realistic about just what you're getting with Stallworth.

Outside of his rookie season and 2005, he has been an inconsistent player at best. In those other 4 seasons, he's averaged 36 catches, 711 yards, and 4 touchdowns. Now, those are pretty good numbers for a 3rd WR, especially when you consider the blazing speed Stallworth brings to the table. If he's on the field, he's going to have plenty of chances to run by the opposing defense and make some big plays, but that's a very big if. Stallworth's injury report reads like a who's-who of things you don't want to see for a receiver, from hamstrings to quadriceps.

After Stallworth, we're left with the all too familiar Mark Clayton. Clayton's report reads a lot like Stallworth's; a first-round pick who pretty much flopped, a guy with speed who's always battling a nagging hamstring injury, and someone you can't necessarily count on to make a play when you need him to.

Will the addition of Boldin and Stallworth help Clayton on the field, or is what we've seen for the past five seasons all we're ever going to get from the former Sooner?

And then there's Demetrius Williams. We've all heard how high on him Ozzie was last year, and we've also heard about how much time he's spent in John Harbaugh's doghouse. He's also someone who battles the nagging injuries, and reportedly has “practice issues.”

Still, he's a fairly tall, fairly speedy guy who showed some flashes of having big play ability last year. Is it time to give up on Williams, or to see what he can do with two pass catching beasts around him?

Considering players who were on the team last year but are currently UFA's, I thought Kelley Washington was under-utilized last season. He's not going to carry anyone's passing game on his shoulders, but he's a big, strong, wideout who can make some plays over the middle, and emerged as a credible 3rd down weapon for a while last season. He's also a very good special teams player, which makes him more useful than a 4th or 5th receiver who can't cover kicks.

If the Ravens aren't content with the guys they currently have on the roster, other options are dwindling. The free agent market is thinning, with the biggest target left being T.O. But do the Ravens really need a big, relatively slow, possession receiver with a tendency to drop balls? There's always the draft, but do you really want to spend a 1st round pick on a receiver at this point, given that you just traded a 3rd and a 4th round pick for one, and considering the track record of 1st round receivers?

And who would realistically be available when the Ravens pick? Dez Bryant's stock is falling as more and more people question his work ethic and commitment, but is a talent like that really going to fall that far? I suppose it's very possible Arrelious Benn will be available, but is he likely to be a better pick than a TE, CB, or pass rusher?

Obviously a lot of this depends on the larger plan Ozzie has for the roster, and what the scouts are saying about the various potential draft picks.

But if it were up to you, what would you do?

What would you most like to address with the first draft pick?

Would you try to add more help at WR, either in the draft or free agency, or do you feel good about the players currently on the roster?

If ESPN gets their way the Ravens will be playing their #1 rival to kick off Monday Night Football for the 2010 season. This will be completely different than last season when we didn’t play the Steelers for the first time until the end of November.

I love the sound of this. It would be a great way to start off the season. (As long as we win, of course)

However, rumor has it that this all depends on what happens with Ben Roethlisberger’s current legal issues.

Who wants to showcase a team who is led by a man who has been accused of sexual assault TWICE in less than a year?

Let us indulge ourselves and peek a little further into this situation.

As hardcore Ravens fans, we all share the same passion for our team as well as a passion for hating the Steelers. Don’t deny that anytime you see someone repping for our biggest enemy in the football world that you can’t think of anything but wanting to burn the Steelers hat, shirt, coat, tie, scarf, or whatever it may be to ashes.

While we’re being honest here (and with all due respect to the alleged victim), let’s not deny that we were a little happy inside to hear of Mr. Roethlisberger’s sexual assault allegations. We all know he was accused of the same crime last year. This time it seems a bit fishier. Ben’s attorney, Ed Garland (who was Ray Lewis’ attorney over 10 years ago in a murder case) isn’t agreeing to let Georgia Police acquire a DNA sample as requested nor is he stating when Ben will have his next interview.

Whether the allegations are true or false, the Steelers organization isn’t very happy with these Roethlisberger’s shenanigans. Over the next 5 years the organization is schedule to pay Big Ben up to $54 Million. If indicted, the NFL will most likely suspend him indefinitely. (i.e. Michael Vick being indicted on dog fighting charges)

Could we be seeing the beginning of the end for one of the most loved AND hated players in the NFL?

We shall see my friends.

Whatever the outcome, when we play the Steelers no matter what week in the season it may be; we all know it will be a challenge as it always is, and I cannot wait to see our team this upcoming season given all the great changes we have made thus far during the off season.

The cries and the woes of the fans of the Baltimore Ravens could be heard well into the early dawn. The Ravens fought hard, made a decent attempt but, it just wasn't in the cards for them.

We can point fingers, we can cry foul, but truth is that in the 60 minutes of play, we could not pull it together to bring home the win. How can they have such a change in play from one week to the next?

Sure we can say that each opponent is different.

We can point to individual player performances or complain about the coaches calls.

All season the Ravens seem to play like a different team every time they hit the field. They appeared to have a Jekyll and Hyde like syndrome going on this entire season.

However, no one can say that we didn't put our heart and soul into the season. We not only fought our opponents each game¸ we often fought ourselves.

During many games we found our team trying to overcome their own on the field struggles. Every Sunday, fans never knew what to expect. In the end there was no doubt that the Ravens deserved their spot in the playoffs. Our Ravens players, including stars Lewis, Reed, Rice, McGahee, and Gaither gave us a thrilling season. It just didn’t end the way we would have liked.

But it did end on a positive note.

The Ravens were up, then down, but all in all they had a great season. After all we did make it further than most of the teams, including our biggest rival, the Steelers!

Today it’s a new dawn and it’s the beginning of a new season. As for the fans, we can resume our second favorite Sunday past times, we can look forward to the off season drafts, we can take a deep breath and we can relax.

Our team gave us a good run.

It was a football season to remember and one to be proud of.

So over the next few weeks I will sit back, relax and simply watch the post season unfold. I’ll pick my team and root them on. Only this time at the end of the game, win or lose, I’ll be smiling with not a football care in the world.

No ranting or raving from me!

Yep no worries, I‘ve set my sights on the future.

September will bring another season of Baltimore Ravens football and once again all will be right with the world.

The hype over the game is in full swing. Yes, Ravens are the underdog. But if any of the playoff underdog teams are expected to pull it off, The Ravens have the best shot to take it.

I believe we will, because this game against the Indianapolis Colts isn’t just a playoff game this is a game that has a deep sentimental meaning to all Baltimore football fans. They have called us cry babies. Some accuse of us of not being able to put the past behind us and move on.

I beg to differ.

Baltimore has moved on. We are no longer Colts fans.

We are Baltimore Ravens fans.

And Baltimore fans have stepped up and taken the commitment to PURPLE PRIDE proudly. Last night at the local pep rallies, it was more than evident that Baltimore is still a proud football loving town.

As much as we love our Ravens, we will never forget our past, our football heritage or our Baltimore Colts.

There are tons of fans like myself who associate Baltimore Colts memories with a happy childhood. I grew watching Sunday afternoon football. I knew that it meant that dinner would be served at halftime, that the living room furniture would be rearranged to maximize seats in front of the TV. And if it was a home game it meant a babysitter and pizza for dinner.

I remember watching my parents pull on their “stadium coats” and head to Memorial Stadium. I remember going to hometown holiday parades to hear the Colts Marching Band. I remember my entire family, aunts, uncles, cousins all singing the Colts Fight Song.

Colts football was a family affair. Colts football is part of the history of Baltimore just as marble stoops, blue collar workers, row houses, the Star Spangled Banner and steamed crabs.

I have such mixed emotion watching the Colts. Every time I see that white helmet with the horseshoe, my thoughts go to my folks and the joy we shared rooting for that team. I recall my excitement on my 21st birthday when I was taken to my very first Colts football game. That day they became my team and I followed them until they pulled from away from all of us on that Mayflower van.

Losing the team was hard but losing our history is unforgivable. That team, that logo, those past players and all of the memories belong to Baltimore.

Recently former Colt Tom Matte shared his thoughts on Baltimore’s loss of the Colts franchise. Though their trophies and memorabilia are in Indy, he and other former Baltimore Colts players have yet to be embraced by the owner and team. He has never been invited to a game or to visit the team. The Baltimore Colts memorabilia that is in the football Hall of fame is displayed under the name of the Indianapolis Colts.

That’s not who Matte and his teammates played for and that was not the name of our team or their team. We have to give props to our Ravens owners and franchise who have embraced our Baltimore Colts players and made them part of the new Baltimore team!

Tonight, facing Baltimore’s former team’s namesake on their Indy turf and our Baltimore Ravens taking home the win will be a pleasure like no other! It’s not that we couldn’t move on to another team, we have moved on and we love our Ravens. What Baltimore can get passed it that our history, my childhood memories now sit in Indiana.

The Colts started their legacy here in Baltimore and we deserve to have that back.